Apparatus, method and system for a magnetic display support

ABSTRACT

A display support for displaying an object having a magnetic base attached to a display module and removably attached to a surface with a magnetically adherent material. The display system may include more than one magnetic bases and the display module may connect each of the magnetic bases. The support module may be separable from the magnetic bases to allow for differently shaped display modules, different lengths of display modules, or for display modules with different display characteristics, such as hooks. Stabilizing members may be used to help stabilize the object on the display module enabling a person to display/hold items at any angle. The stabilizing members may also be used to support objects such as jewelry, glasses, watches, tools, kitchen utensils, etc. Magnetic couplers may be used to position the objects in particular positions against the surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus, method, and system fordisplay supports. Specifically, the present invention relates tocompact, positional, magnetic display supports for displaying an objectagainst a surface with magnetically adherent material.

2. Description of the Related Art

When creating a wall display, retailers have used various andsubstantially permanent systems for displaying items. Retail displayracks are used to display a wide variety of different products that areoffered for sale. The systems have included large display cases,shelves, hooks, racks, and notched display rods affixed to the wall intowhich levered struts can be inserted to support shelves. In many cases,the shelves are permanently bolted, nailed, or glued to the wall. Inother cases, large pegboards are attached to the wall to be used withmovable posts and hooks, particularly for home use.

In the past, these display racks have suffered from a number ofdisadvantages. For example, past displays are not designed to have abackground art attached, and for those displays that do have backgroundart attached, it is disrupted or destroyed with holes, grooves, slots,etc. As a result, the type of background art is limited. Additionally,past displays have often been manufactured having a fixed size andarrangement for displaying the products. These past displays have alsobeen limited in the location, arrangement, and ease of re-arrangement ofthe advertising and signs that accompany the display, which help sellthe products displayed thereon. The individual shelves on past displayracks have also often been difficult to adjust without removing thesurrounding shelves. As inventory is reduced, or exhausted, and productsare individually sold and removed from the display systems, the displaybegins to appear incomplete and unattended.

Some display racks are expensive to manufacture, time consuming to setup, and take up large amounts of storage space when they are not in use.Particularly concerning is the damage caused to the underlyingstructure, such as a wall, when a display rack is installed or removed.The underlying structure is often left with large screw holes, scratchedor damaged paint, and occasional structural damage. Additionally,current systems are too permanent, and they generally preventflexibility in the positioning of the display systems. Finally, currentdisplay systems often require installers with special experience andequipment to construct and place the display system.

Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present inventionare:

to provide a display system that may position many types of products, ofvarious sizes, in any orientation and at any angle;

to provide a quick and convenient method of attaching a display systemto a display surface;

to provide a display system that is readily movable at will, that doesnot alter or deface the supporting surface;

to provide a display system that may be used in the retail environment,trade shows, kitchen, closet, garage, anywhere;

to provide a display system that may use a magnetically adherentmaterial, which may be reversed for use with seasonal sales orpromotions;

to provide a display system that can be set up, moved, and removedquickly without technical expertise;

to provide a display system that may display products from any location,including walls and ceilings; and

to provide a display system utilizing a magnetically adherent materialdecorated with graphics, including vinyl, paint, stickers, etching, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed in response to the presentstate of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems andneeds in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currentlyavailable display racks. Accordingly, the present invention has beendeveloped to provide a process, apparatus, and system for a positionablemagnetic display support that overcomes many or all of theabove-discussed shortcomings in the art.

Specifically, the present invention provides a positionable magneticdisplay support. The magnetic display support includes at least onemagnetic base and a display mount protruding from the magnetic base. Themagnetic base is configured to removably attach to a magneticallyadherent surface. The display mount is configured to support a varietyof items, such as tools, clothing, toys, etc.

In one embodiment, the positionable magnetic display support includestwo magnetic bases connected via a display rod. The magnetic basepositions the display rod perpendicular to a ferrous wall to support ashoe.

In one embodiment, the positionable magnetic display support includesstabilizing members for holding an object into a position in conjunctionwith the display mount.

Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, orsimilar language does not imply that all of the features and advantagesthat may be realized with the present invention should be or are in anysingle embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to thefeatures and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature,advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language,throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to thesame embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics ofthe invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that theinvention can be practiced without one or more of the specific featuresor advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additionalfeatures and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments thatmay not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

These features and advantages of the present invention, as well as otherfeatures and advantages not listed, will become more fully apparent fromthe following description and appended claims, or may be learned by thepractice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the invention will be readilyunderstood, a more particular description of the invention brieflydescribed above will be rendered by reference to specific embodimentsthat are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are nottherefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the inventionwill be described and explained with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a display support according to one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a display support supporting ashoe according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a display support attached to a wallaccording to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates various display supports attached to a wall andsupporting articles of clothing according to one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a display support attached to a wall and having aplurality of display mounts according to one embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a goggle display support according to one embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used todescribe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitationof the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations andfurther modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, andany additional applications of the principles of the invention asillustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant artand having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered withinthe scope of the invention.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” andsimilar language throughout this specification may, but do notnecessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

FIG. 1 illustrates a display support 10 according to one embodiment ofthe present invention. The display support 10 comprises a magnetic base12, to which a display mount, or display module, 14 is attached. In thisembodiment, the magnetic base 12 comprises two magnets and the displaymount 14 is a rod. The magnetic base 12 is configured to attach to asurface 16 with magnetically adherent properties to position the displaymount 14 perpendicular to the surface 16.

The surface 16 may comprise any type of magnetically adherent material.Additionally, the surface 16 may be covered with any type of decorativeliner. For example, the surface 16 may be covered with a vinyl linerhaving a preferred drawing, picture, design, advertisement, etc. Inother embodiments, the surface 16 may be covered with paint, stickers,etched with particular designs, etc.

The display mount 14 may be comprised of any material. In oneembodiment, the display mount 14 comprises a pliable material so thatthe display mount 14 may be bent and manipulated into any configuration.The bendable feature of the display mount 14 provides adaptability inthe display support 10 for displaying a variety of products.Specifically, the display mount 14 may be manipulated to display a muchgreater variety of products ranging in different sizes, shapes, andmaterials, such as, but not limited to clothes, tools, toys, books, orany type of product meant to be displayed or stored.

FIG. 2 illustrates a display support 10 attached to a surface 16 andsupporting a shoe 26 according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. In this embodiment, the display support 10 comprises themagnetic base 12 attached to the surface 16, the display mount 14, andstabilizing members 18. The stabilizing members 18 each comprise amagnetic base 20 attached to a stabilizing display rod, or stabilizingdisplay member 22. The stabilizing members 18 may be positioned at anylocation on the surface 16 to provide support to the display support 10or to stabilize the display item 24 positioned on the display support10. The shoe 26 rests on the display mount 14 and the stabilizingmembers 18 removably hold the shoe 26 in any position against thedisplay mount 14. The stabilizing display rod 22 may be curved,straight, or bendable like the display mount 14 described in FIG. 1. Thestabilizing display rod 22 may be made of any type of material.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a display support 10 attached to asurface 16 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In thisembodiment, the display support system 10 comprises a single display rod32 extending from the magnetic base 12. The magnetic base 12 attaches tothe surface 16, which is attached to a supporting surface 30. Thesurface 16 may be glued, screwed, clamped, or secured by any means tothe supporting surface 30.

The surface 16 may be any type of magnetically adherent material and thesupporting surface 30 may be drywall, or another type of material. Inone embodiment, the surface 16 may be integrated into the supportingsurface 30. For example, the supporting surface 30 may comprise amultiplicity of magnetically adherent materials, such as small metalpellets (not shown). The magnetically adherent materials may be pressed,glued, sprayed, etc. onto the surface 16 or supporting surface 30.

Additionally, in one embodiment, display mount supports 31 may be usedto provide additional support to the magnetic base 12 or to prevent thedisplay item 24 (See FIG. 2) from sagging or falling. In one embodiment,the display mount support 31 comprises a slide 33 moveably connected tothe display rod 32 and a support rod 35 attached to the slide 33. Astopper 37 may be attached to the support rod 35 to prevent slippage.The stopper 37 may be any material such as rubber or an additionalmagnet.

In another embodiment, the slide 33 is open on a top edge so that thedisplay mount support 31 may be easily placed below the display rod 32at any time without removing a product.

FIG. 4 illustrates various display supports 10 attached to the surface16 and supporting articles of clothing 34 according to one embodiment ofthe present invention. In this embodiment, the display support 10comprises the magnetic base 12 and display mounts 14. The display mount14 may be configured to hold different articles of clothing 34, such asa T-shirt or pants.

The display support 10 may further comprise magnetic couplers 36 forpositioning the article of clothing 34 in different positions, ratherthan a hanging configuration. The magnetic couplers 36 are configured tohold, position, or attach the articles of clothing 34 against thesurface 16.

FIG. 5 illustrates a display support attached to a surface 16 and havinga plurality of display mounts 14 according to one embodiment of thepresent invention. The magnetic base 12 supports a connecting displaymember 38, which is configured to support a plurality of display mounts14. The connecting display member 38 may be constructed similar to thesurface 16, that is, the connecting display member 38 may be amagnetically adherent material. The connecting display member 38 mayalso be configured to connect a plurality of magnetic bases 12 forsupporting a large or long display item 24.

In one embodiment, magnetic bases 12 of the display mounts 14 couple tothe connecting display member 38. In another embodiment, the displaymounts 14 connect directly to the connecting display member 38 withglue, screws, friction, etc.

Referring still to FIG. 5, the display mounts 14 may be configured tohold any kind of accessory, such as jewelry, watches, rings, glasses,tools, kitchen utensils, etc. For illustration purposes, the displaymounts 14 in this embodiment are configured to hold watches 36 andglasses 40. For display mounts 14 configured to hold watches 41, thedisplay mount 14 comprises a watch band member 42. A watch band of thewatch 41 simply wraps around the watch band member 42 to secure thewatch 41 to the display mount 14. The watch band member 42 may beconfigured to hold a plurality of watches 41. For display mounts 14configured to hold glasses 40, the display mount 14 comprises a nosepiece rest 44 and a crossbar 46. The glasses 40 rest over the nose piecerest 44 and the crossbar 46 of the display mount 14.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a goggles display support 10 forholding soft-sided goggles 48 according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. In this embodiment, the display support 10 utilizes themagnetic couplers 36 to hold the straps 52 of the goggles 48 against thesurface 16. The goggles 48 may be placed over an illustration, such as askier's face, and held in place with the magnetic couplers 36.

In another embodiment, the display support 10 utilizes the stabilizingmember 18 (See FIG. 2) to hold the goggles 48 at a nose rest portion 50.The stabilizing display rod 22 (See FIG. 2) of the stabilizing member 18may be straight, bendable, curved, or tilted from the magnetic base 20(See FIG. 2).

It is understood that the above-described arrangements are onlyillustrative of the application of the principles of the presentlyillustrated invention. The present invention may, however, be embodiedin other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essentialcharacteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in allrespects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of theinvention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than bythe foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within theirscope.

For example, although the illustrative embodiment(s) have/has describedthe use of a display mount 14 attached to the magnetic base 12, it isenvisioned that the display mount 14 may be detachable from the magneticbase 12 so that the display mount 14 may be configured with a pluralityof connecting ends (not shown) to connect to a plurality of magneticbase 12. Additionally, it is envisioned that the display mounts 14 andthe stabilizing display rods 22 may be configured into any shape.Specifically, there may be display mounts 14 and 22 for positioningshirts, pants, shoes, glasses, socks, jewelry, tools, etc.

In addition, although many illustrated embodiments show the use of one,two, or more magnetic base 12 for holding and positioning the displayitems 24 against a surface 16, it is envisioned that any number ofmagnetic base 12 may be used for any one of the embodiments. For largeobjects, larger magnetic base 12 may be used.

Finally, although the illustrative embodiments show the use of a rod fora display mount 14, it is envisioned that the display mount 14 may beany shape, such as round, square, rectangular, etc.

Thus, while the present invention has been fully described above withparticularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed tobe the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, itwill be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerousmodifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size,materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly anduse may be made, without departing from the principles and concepts ofthe invention as set forth in the claims.

1. An apparatus for displaying an object, comprising: a magnetic baseconfigured to removably attach to a surface, the surface beingmagnetically adherent; a display module attached to the magnetic baseand configured to support the object, wherein the display modulecomprises a pliable material such that the display module is bendable;and at least one stabilizing member configured to hold the object in astationary position over the display module.
 2. The apparatus of claim1, further comprising a connecting member configured to connect aplurality of magnetic bases, and wherein a plurality of display modulesare attached to the connecting member.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2,wherein the stabilizing member comprises a magnetic base and astabilizing display member protruding from the magnetic base.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 3, wherein the stabilizing display member isbendable.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a magneticcoupler configured to hold the object in a particular position againstthe surface.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display moduledisplays an article of clothing.
 7. A system for displaying an object,comprising: a surface with a magnetically adherent material; a magneticbase configured to removably attach to the surface; a display moduleattached to the magnetic base and configured to support a display item;and at least one stabilizing member configured to hold the object in astationary position over the display module.
 8. The system of claim 7wherein the magnetic base comprises more than one magnet.
 9. The systemof claim 8, wherein the stabilizing member comprises a magnetic base anda stabilizing display member protruding from the magnetic base.
 10. Thesystem of claim 7, wherein the stabilizing display module comprises apliable material such that the display module is bendable.
 11. Thesystem of claim 7, further comprising a connecting member configured toconnect a plurality of magnetic bases, and wherein a plurality ofdisplay modules are attached to the connecting member.
 12. The system ofclaim 7, further comprising at least one magnetic coupler configured tohold the display item in a particular position against the surface. 13.A method for creating a positionable display, the method comprising:removably attaching a magnetic base to a surface having a magneticallyadherent material; attaching a display module to the magnetic base; andpositioning an object to be displayed on the display module.
 14. Themethod according to claim 13, wherein the magnetic base comprises morethan one magnet.
 15. The method according to claim 13, furthercomprising the step of removably attaching stabilizing members to thesurface for stabilizing the object positioned on the display module. 16.The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step ofremovably attaching magnetic couplers to the surface for holding theobject in a particular position.